Joint Statement between the United States of America and the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan

The United States and Afghanistan are working together to keep Afghanistan irreversibly on the path toward constitutional democracy and toward an honored place in the world community as a nation that invests in its people and provides its citizens with economic opportunity and security. President Bush and President Karzai applaud the efforts of coalition and Afghan forces and of countless Afghan and international workers who have joined to build a new Afghanistan on the ruins of the old. Afghanistan today represents an enormous strategic success for the United States and the world and a political and economic success for the Afghan people who have endured a quarter century of conflict. A country that was seized by terrorists to serve as the global headquarters of hate and oppression is now returned to her people and has become a land of liberty and opportunity for Afghans and a strong ally in the international war on terror.

President Karzai conveys his heartfelt thanks to the American
people for their continued support and recognizes the American
servicemen and servicewomen who are fighting -- and especially those
who have died -- alongside Afghan and other coalition forces to secure
a better future for his country. President Karzai underscores that
Afghan and coalition forces are winning the war against terror in
Afghanistan, even as reprehensible but isolated attacks continue
against aid organizations, coalition forces, and Afghan civilians.
These attacks will not be allowed to deny the Afghan people their
rightful future.

President Bush joins President Karzai in acknowledging the
indispensable support of the United Nations, NATO, and many
international partners in the historic effort to secure and rebuild
Afghanistan. The effort has been a model of international
collaboration, and its success will be a lasting tribute to all who
have joined together with the Afghan people in this common task.

A Partnership for the Future

President Bush and President Karzai acknowledge the ties of mutual
friendship and interest that bind the two countries together and pledge
to build on these ties, forging a broad and lasting partnership for the
future. This partnership will embrace a range of activities that
represent shared interests in building democracy, investing in the
Afghan people, creating economic opportunity, and strengthening
security.

Promoting Democratic Governance

The United States and Afghanistan share the common conviction that
democracy is the foundation of lasting stability. Afghanistan has a
new constitution that offers a solid foundation for its future as a
democracy that respects civil liberties and the rights of women and
minorities. Presidential and Parliamentary elections are planned for
September, and so far three million Afghans have registered to vote,
including a million women.

The United States pledges its continued full support as Afghans go
to the polls and begin to build the institutions of democracy,
including a Parliament that is responsive to the needs of the people.
The United States will launch a new two-year program to train
parliamentarians and equip them to fulfill their constitutional role.
This program complements the efforts of other international donors to
support Afghanistan's democratic process.

Investing in People

The United States and Afghanistan share the common conviction that
to invest in people is to invest in the future. Afghans will go to the
polls amid countless tangible signs of progress, including hundreds of
new schools, thousands of newly-trained teachers, and millions of new
textbooks. Over 140 clinics have been constructed, 3,400 health
workers have been trained, and over 4 million children vaccinated.

Afghanistan's richest resource is its people, and President Bush
joins President Karzai in recognizing the central importance of
training and education programs. The United States is now inaugurating
a set of fellowship and exchange programs that will bring Afghan
scholars and youth to the United States. The United States will also
support a new $5 million Women's Teacher Training Institute in Kabul to
remedy the critical shortage of certified teachers in the provinces.
Graduates of the teacher training program will return to their
provinces to train others, engaging thousands of children and young
adults and building literacy in rural Afghanistan.

Strengthening Economic Opportunity

The United States and Afghanistan share the common conviction that
with economic opportunity Afghan men and women will forge a new future
for themselves and their country. Afghanistan has a stable currency
and an economy that grew 30 percent last year. Its cities are bustling
with commerce and investment is growing. It has thousands of new wells
and irrigation works and hundreds of miles of new roads that are
steadily drawing the country together again after decades of war and
destruction.

President Karzai emphasizes his determination to set Afghanistan on
the path to sustainable economic growth and financial
self-sufficiency. He recognizes that international aid cannot and
should not last forever and views private investment and market forces
as the long-term engine of economic growth. Afghanistan has signaled
that it is committed to integrating into the global economic community
and plans to seek WTO observer status. To promote bilateral economic
ties, the United States and Afghanistan announce their intent to pursue
a bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. The United
States is also pleased to announce that work will begin this month on
three new industrial parks that will spur foreign and domestic
investment. The United States and Afghanistan see the power sector as
a central priority in the next stage of Afghanistan's development and
will work together to develop power generation capacity and electricity
distribution networks. To help create opportunities for women, the
United States is dedicating $5 million to fund training programs and
grants for small businesses, providing Afghan women with sustainable
jobs, management skills training, and a self-sustaining credit
facility.

Enhancing Security

The United States and Afghanistan share a common conviction that
success in establishing security and attacking the narcotics trade is
essential for progress on all fronts. President Bush reaffirms the
commitment of the United States to provide continued support in the
security arena, and President Karzai reports that Afghanistan has
already made significant progress. Its National Army is 9,500 strong
and growing, and is being deployed to the far reaches of the country.
Its U.S.- and German-trained police force now numbers 18,300 and will
soon reach 24,500. The United States is encouraged by President
Karzai's decree requiring the disarmament, demobilization, and
integration of all militias and pledges to support its full
implementation.

Building on this strong foundation, the United States and
Afghanistan announce their intent to establish a long-term security
relationship that will include continued training and materiel
support. The United States will continue helping Afghanistan establish
its National Army -- including regional commands -- and will further
strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Defense and General Staff.
President Karzai reaffirms his commitment to build a strong economy,
free of drug trafficking; and the United States is committed to
assisting the Afghan Government in this endeavor.

A Long-Term Commitment

President Bush reaffirms the long-term commitment the American
people have made to Afghanistan. He and President Karzai join in
recommitting both countries to the challenge of building a democratic,
prosperous, and secure future for the Afghan people.